Mike Pence Says Administration is “On the Verge of an Historic Accomplishment” on Healthcare

In a Saturday night keynote address to the Maverick PAC conference Vice President Mike Pence rattled off a list of President Trump’s accomplishments, noting that in seven months he’s signed 40 bills and 40 Executive Orders, approved the Keystone and Dakota Pipelines, rolled back the Obama clean power plan, withdrew from Paris Climate Accord, and 800,000 new jobs have been created.

Though the stock market is soaring and consumer confidence is high, Pence said, one thing that must be addressed right away is the implosion of Obamacare.

Obamacare is literally imploding. The average premium on the individual market has more than doubled since Obamacare went into effect, and in many states it’s more than tripled.

The Average Obamacare plan today costs $3,000 more than it did in 2013.

Pence expressed confidence that the Better Care Act would pass, though at least two GOP senators have said they will not vote for it.

“We’re on the verge of a historic accomplishment here in our nation’s capital, because in the coming days, President Trump, working with the Congress that you helped elect, is going to keep our promise to the American people, and we are going to repeal and replace Obamacare.

“Just two days ago, building on the good work of the House of Representatives, Senate leadership unveiled a new version of the Senate health care bill. The Senate health care bill is the right bill at the right time to begin to repeal and replace Obamacare, and to rescue the American people from this disastrous policy.”

Saturday night, Sen. Mitch McConnell announced that the bill would not be taken up in the Senate until Sen. John McCain returns to Washington. McCain had surgery in his home state of Arizona to remove a blood clot from above his eye and will recuperate there for the next week. Last week, Pence told Rush Limbaugh that if the Senate was unable to pass this bill, they should pass a simple repeal then work on an entirely new plan.